A New Policy

Understanding WHAT has changed and HOW it will affect you.

What Has Changed?

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To support the implementation of these revised policies and the travel and expense management system (SAP Concur), a new portal is available for staff. The interactive portal will be regularly updated with information about the new process, FAQs, fact sheets and learning modules for SAP Concur. The portal is accessible from both within and outside the NSW RFS network.   If you have any questions about the revised policies or the travel and expense management system, please email travelandexpense@rfs.nsw.gov.au. We also encourage you to regularly visit the FAQs on the portal for answers to common questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

General FAQs

When are the policies effective?

The revised Travel and Corporate Credit Cards policies are effective from 1 July 2019.

Why has the travel policy changed?

The travel policy has been amended to meet the policy mandates from NSW Government. Not only must the NSW RFS comply with the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009, but also a number of other Government policies such as the NSW Government Travel and Transport Policy, the Treasurer’s Directions, Treasury Policy and Guidelines Papers, Treasury Circulars and Department of Finance, Services and Innovation Circulars. Each of these impose obligations upon the organisation, and many have force of law (ie they must be complied with).

The policy has been developed to meet our Award obligations, whilst also meeting the other requirements of Government policy.

The focus has been to ensure staff travel at the organisation’s expense using simple and effective processes. Overwhelmingly, this has been achieved through the use of corporate credit cards and implementation of a travel and expense management system. 

Why has the corporate credit card policy changed?

The corporate credit card policy has been amended to improve flexibility for credit card holders in using cards for both travel and incurring lower value expenses, whilst also meeting Government policy mandates.

What is the travel and expense management system?

The NSW RFS has selected the SAP Concur travel and expense management system. It is a flexible platform that provides both browser based and mobile app based access for travel and expenses.

The system will facilitate online travel requests, expense requests, credit card feeds, credit card reconciliations and expense and allowance claims. Managers will approve travel, expenses and reconciliations online.

Electronic capture of receipts will be facilitated in the field through the mobile app, and be available for use in reconciliations.

Travel Approval

Do I need an approval to travel?

In most circumstances, yes. A travel approval is required for overnight travel or same day travel where a meal allowance will be claimed. For same day travel that will not incur a meal allowance or private motor vehicle allowance, an approval is not required.

Overseas travel must be approved in advance by the Minister.

Travel Coordinators and staff booking their own accommodation should not do so until a travel approval has been received.  

How do I request to travel?

An online application should be made in the SAP Concur travel and expense management system.

For overseas travel, a Ministerial brief will also be required, and travel cannot be arranged until such time as the Ministerial approval is received.

How do I apply for a corporate credit card?

Click here to access Travel and Expense documents and forms .

Travel Compensation – Overnight Travel

What are the major policy changes ?

Access and use of credit cards for travel

Staff members will be provided with corporate credit cards for use during authorised official travel to incur meal and accommodation costs, even when travel is infrequent. There is a requirement to use the corporate credit card for meal and accommodation costs when provided.

Allocating corporate credit cards to individuals even where they are infrequent travellers is to ensure that as few staff as possible need to incur expenses personally, and later claim for travel reimbursements.

Travel expenses for corporate credit card holders will be limited to actual costs incurred

When undertaking authorised official travel, staff members will incur the costs of meals and accommodation on their corporate credit cards. There is no entitlement to withdraw additional cash above the actual costs incurred.

Access to cash withdrawals will be restricted

As a general rule, access to withdraw cash from corporate credit cards will be removed.  

Staff who are petty cash holders will retain the ability to withdraw cash, but only for that purpose.

Opening a card to cash withdrawals may be approved in certain circumstances (eg overseas travel), however will be restricted again when the traveller returns.

Travel expenses for non-corporate credit card holders will be retrospectively reimbursed through the travel and expense management system. Cash advances will not be available.

Staff members who do not hold a corporate credit card but need to travel will arrange to have accommodation booked by a NSW RFS approved Travel Coordinator, and retrospectively claim meal allowances on their return through the travel and expense management system. Receipts are not required to be provided.

Allowances will be paid in the next available payment run into the employee’s bank account once approved by their Manager.

Original receipts no longer need to be retained – scans or photographs are accepted.

There remains a requirement for a staff member to obtain an itemised tax invoice for meals and accommodation expenses incurred while travelling. However, these documents may now be scanned or photographed and uploaded into the travel and expense management system or app for use in later reconciliations.

Retention of the original paper documentation is no longer required once electronically captured and uploaded to the travel and expense management system.

An incidental allowance is claimable for each 24 hours of overnight travel

All staff, whether travelling with or without a corporate credit card are entitled to claim an incidentals allowance for each completed 24 hours of travel. This allowance is claimable through the SAP Concur travel and expense management system at the conclusion of travel.

How do I apply for a corporate credit card?

An Application for Corporate Credit Card form is available on the Intranet or the Travel and Expense portal.

Why do I need to apply for a corporate credit card if the policy requires me to have one when I travel?

There remains a requirement for the NSW RFS to capture information about you, and to capture identity information for the banking provider. Corporate credit cards are issued to a named individual who must pass a 100 point identification check.

There is also a requirement when issuing a corporate credit card to a staff member that the staff member is made aware of the terms and conditions associated with the card. All staff members receiving a corporate credit card are required to read and sign a Cardholder Statement of Responsibility prior to taking custody of the corporate credit card.

Why does the Manager need to approve an application if the policy requires a staff member to have a corporate credit card for travel?

As a Manager, you should be aware whether or not your staff hold corporate credit cards, and therefore whether you can expect to receive requests, reconciliations and approvals from the cardholder.

Similarly, you may be aware of particular circumstances that mean a corporate credit card should not be issued to a staff member.

Are there limits to the accommodation cost I can incur if I am booking my own accommodation?

Yes – accommodation should be in the mid-range of available options at the relevant destination (usually referred to as three star or three diamond)

Are there limits to the cost of meals I can incur if I am charging them to a corporate credit card?

Yes. The cost of a meal should not exceed the relevant meal allowance as shown in the Treasurer’s Circular

(available on the Intranet).

The reason for this is that these rates equate to the reasonable travel expense amounts allowable by the Australian Taxation Office. Amounts above this limit may be taxable.

How is airline travel booked?

Airline travel will be booked through the NSW Government contracted travel management service by a Travel Coordinator on the basis of the Travel Approval completed in SAP Concur.

Travel Compensation – One Day Journeys

How do I claim for meal costs incurred on one day journeys?

Meal expenses on one day journeys are claimable by way of an allowance through the SAP Concur travel and expense management system.

Specific rules are outlined in the policy (based on the Award) that describe when staff members are entitled to one day journey meal allowances.

Staff members should not utilise their corporate credit card to incur a cost for a one day meal allowance, but rather claim the relevant meal allowance if entitled.

Travel with Volunteers, Other Staff Members or Contractors

Can I meet the cost of travel of other staff members or volunteers when travelling?

Where a staff member is a travelling with a volunteer or volunteers, the staff member is able to meet the reasonable travel expenses of the volunteer to the same standards as apply to staff members. Notation of the volunteer details and deployment should be made in the comments field in SAP Concur during the reconciliation process.

Where a staff member is travelling with other staff or contractors who would otherwise be entitled to either incur actual expenses, seek reimbursement or have their travel costs met; it is permitted for a staff member to incur that cost on their credit card. When reconciling the corporate credit card expense, a notation must be made in the comments field as to who the additional expenses were incurred on behalf of.

It remains preferable that where multiple credit card holders are travelling together that individual accommodation and meals invoices are received for each staff member, and that each staff member incurs and reconciles their costs individually.

Private motor vehicle expenses

How do I claim private motor vehicle expenses?

Private motor vehicle expenses need to be pre-approved through a travel approval. A travel diary should be maintained to record the kilometres travelled, and should be attached to the claim.

At the conclusion of the trip, an expense claim can be prepared through the travel and expense management system based on a per kilometre rate. Only the casual rate will be available for claiming through the system.

Work related expenses

How do I receive reimbursement for work related expenses incurred personally?

An expense claim should be created in the SAP Concur travel and expense management system, with appropriate supporting documentation attached. Your manager will review and, if appropriate, approve your claim.

Once approved, the payment will be processed into the staff member’s bank account in the next available payment run.

Non-travel credit card expenditure

What are the major policy changes?

Relaxation of restrictions on the use of credit cards

Corporate credit cards may now be used for the purchase of goods and services up to $1,500 (including GST) where:

›  The item (or equivalent item) is not in the SAP catalogue or restricted based on a government contract or pre-qualification scheme (eg airline travel, computers, mobile phones); and

›   The staff member either holds a financial delegation, or seeks a pre-approval to make the purchase from a delegated officer; and

›   The procurement is not in relation to a section 44.

Use of credit cards in section 44 declared events

Staff members cannot utilise corporate credit cards in section 44 events unless authorised to do so via the Major Incident Logistics or emergency procurement process, with approval provided in advance by the State Operations Controller.

How do I get a pre-approval to incur an expense?

You can request a pre-approval from your manager through the SAP Concur travel and expense management system.

Alternatively, you may request approval by email or other method, but you must attach this pre-approval to your credit card reconciliation in addition to the tax invoice.

How do I reconcile or acquit non-travel credit card expenditure?

All transactions for your corporate credit card will appear in the SAP Concur travel and expense management system. Staff members are required to obtain an itemised tax invoice for the expense, and attach it to the expense in the SAP Concur travel and expense management system during the reconciliation.

Reconciliation is as simple as choosing the relevant cost centre, project code or internal order, and the appropriate expense type within Concur, attaching the scanned or photographed image of the itemised tax invoice for the expense and submitting. Online training will be provided to support this process.  

In most cases, the fields will be pre-populated with relevant information based on the type of expense incurred, and Concur may have even matched the relevant uploaded document for you.

How often do I need to reconcile my credit card feed?

Reconciliation remains a monthly process, and should not be completed more than monthly.

Staff members can attached receipt/tax invoices and code transactions (ie select the cost centre and expense type) at any time, but should only submit your reconciliation to your Manager monthly.